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Darien Pollinator Pathway Hosts Author Doug Tallamy
Doug Tallamy is a nationally recognized author and professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware.
DARIEN, CT - From Darien Nature Center: Last Thursday, March 7th, the Darien Pollinator Pathway hosted Doug Tallamy, nationally recognized author and professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. Nearly 200 people came to hear Tallamy give a lecture entitled “A Guide to the Little Things that Run the World,” those “little things” being insects and pollinators.
He discussed the essential role that plants and insects play in the ecosystem and reminded us that “plants are not optional” because they provide the oxygen we breathe, and that without insects we cannot support other species, ourselves included.
Recent studies have found that insect populations have declined 45 percent globally since the 70’s, so Tallamy says it is critical we understand how we can help reverse this trend. He explained that nature preserves are no longer enough to meet our ecological needs and because nearly 85 percent of the US is privately owned, we now have to restore the natural world where we live, work and play if we are to be effective. Each of us and our yards can be part of the solution!
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The talk dovetailed well with the work of the Darien Pollinator Pathway, which is encouraging residents and businesses to use native plants and to avoid synthetic chemicals which kill insects (and harm other animals) indiscriminately.
Pollinator Pathway co-chair Juliet Cain says native plants are vital for the health of our indigenous insects as well as for many pollinators. The Gardener’s Center and Florist will soon have a wide variety of native plants for sale and you can also pre-order to make sure you have the ones you want.
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The evening was co-sponsored by the Garden Club of Darien, the Darien Nature Center, the Darien Library and the Gardener’s Center and Florist (collaborators in the Darien Pollinator Pathway), the Darien Tree Conservancy, the Norwalk Land Trust, the Darien Land Trust and the Rowayton Gardeners.
The Darien Pollinator Pathway will be hosting a follow-up informational evening at the Darien Nature Center at 7pm on March 14 for those who would like to learn more. You can also visit their website pollinator-pathway.org for more information on native plants and where to find them.